ING posts 2Q18 net result of €1,429 million - Seite 2

"The second quarter also marked the completion of a key milestone in ING's transformation with the merger of Record Bank into ING in Belgium. Record Bank customers were successfully migrated to ING's platform, now enabling all customers in Belgium to benefit from one consistent client-service model that is digitally enabled and supported by our branch network. But we aren't finished yet; our next priorities are to rationalise our product assortment and to unite the IT platforms of Belgium and the Netherlands. These initiatives are integral to unifying our cross-border organisation and unlocking synergies in two of our largest markets for the benefit of customers.

"Our net core lending book increased by €14.2 billion in the second quarter through well-diversified and disciplined growth across both Retail and Wholesale Banking. Despite the low interest rate environment, the net interest margin held up well. We remain conscious of maintaining a healthy balance between risk and returns. ING Group's second-quarter 2018 underlying result before tax was €2,022 million, reflecting our continued loan growth and solid net fee and commission income. Risk costs remained low at 15 basis points of average risk-weighted assets. The underlying return on equity on a four-quarter rolling average basis was 10.4%.

"ING Group's fully loaded CET1 ratio was 14.1% at the end of June 2018, as the second-quarter capital generation was outpaced by an increase in RWA, mainly stemming from business growth and a macro-prudential add-on. In the second quarter, we reserved €0.9 billion of the quarterly net profit for future dividend payments, as we did with the first-quarter net profit. ING will pay an interim cash dividend of €0.24 per ordinary share over the first six months of 2018. We remain committed to maintaining a strong capital position and reiterate our aim to pay a progressive dividend.

"Our second-quarter performance confirms that we're living up to our Customer Promise every day. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on managing expenses, optimising operational excellence, enhancing our compliance and non-financial risk practices, and executing our digital strategy. I'm confident that our efforts will further strengthen our company and enable sustainable success for the long-term benefit of all stakeholders."   Further information